Nowadays, touch-panel type information input/output apparatuses that are used to operate a computer by touching a touch panel with fingers or an exclusive pen have been widely utilized. Further, in recent years, schools and companies have come to employ a method of proceeding with lectures or giving explanations at meetings by displaying documents and data prepared in advance, or internet screens or video reproduction screens, on a large monitor.
When a touch panel and a monitor are integrated together in the above information input/output apparatus, a person who makes presentation can operate the computer, change screens or process screens, by indicating the screens displayed on the monitor. To operate the computer having a large monitor based on the touch-panel system has advantages in that the attendants or listeners can easily understand the ongoing explanation linked with the contents of the screen currently displayed on the monitor. Further, the attendants can easily understand the progress of the explanation linked with smooth changes in the explained contents of the screen displayed on the monitor.
Some computer software generally used have a tool bar display function. A tool bar is advantageous in that it is easy to select a processing item or a function to be executed by the computer from among items currently displayed on the monitor. On the other hand, occupying a part of the screen for a display has a drawback in that this limits the space that can be used for the screen display.
As conventional techniques that solve the above drawback, there are inventions that are disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open (JP-A) No. 10-91384 and JP-A No. 11-119965, for example. According to the invention disclosed in JP-A No. 10-91384, a tool bar itself has buttons that are displayed in scroll to select a function. It is possible to display all buttons in one space in which one tool bar is displayed.
Further, according to the invention disclosed in JP-A No. 10-91384, a tool bar has a button that changes a display position of the tool bar to a corner of the window. It is possible to move the tool bar displayed at an upper portion of the screen of an application at the beginning, to a corner of the window. With this arrangement, it is possible to prevent the screen from becoming narrow due to the display of the tool bar.
Further, according to the invention disclosed in JP-A No. 11-119965, a tool bar is displayed in a three-dimensional shape, and buttons that are used to select functions are provided on each side of the three-dimensional tool bar. It is possible to select many function buttons around the tool bar displayed in three dimensions, by using one tool bar display area. According to the invention disclosed in JP-A No. 11-119965, the tool bar is displayed at an upper portion of the screen of an application.
In general, a screen having large sizes is used to make presentation to a large number of attendants at lectures or meetings (this kind of screen will hereinafter be called a large screen). When a large screen is used, a person who makes presentation cannot indicate the whole parts of the screen in standing at a constant position. Therefore, this person moves positions to indicate the contents displayed on the large screen to match the explanation.
However, when the tool bar is displayed at a predetermined position such as an upper portion of the screen or at a corner of the window on the large screen following the conventional technique, the speaker must move to a position of the tool each time when the tool bar is used. When the speaker moves frequently, this move gives a large load to the speaker, and this also gives an uncomfortable impression to the attendants as they cannot concentrate on the explanation.
Further, a large screen generally has large sizes in a vertical direction, and the upper end portion of the screen may be set higher than the height of the speaker. Therefore, when the tool bar is displayed at a predetermined position following the conventional method, there is a risk that the speaker cannot reach the tool bar and finds it difficult to handle the tool bar.
The conventional technique is based on the assumption that the tool bar is displayed. However, in general, it is possible to display or erase the tool bar. The speaker touches a set position on the screen to switch between the display and the erasing of the tool bar, according to the touch panel input. Therefore, when a large screen is used, the speaker must move from the current position to this set position to switch between the display and the erasing of the tool bar.
As one idea of solving the above inconveniences, it may be considered a method of allocating a computer processing function to either a click or double-click input operation in only the touch panel system. Based on this, a specific function may be started from an optional position. However, a relationship between a click, a double click, or a right click and a program is common to all OS (operating system). To allocate an operation that is common to the mouse operation to other processing in only the touch panel affects other programs. Therefore, this method is not desirable.